Spiritual Revolution
by Lady Maeror
Summary: Loke made a promise to Lucy to live on and protect her. But after a near-tragedy, he comes to understand human mortality in a different light and realizes that his time spent in the human world has been corrupting him. A story of the changing relationship between a Spirit and a celestial mage and the journey they will go through to reach their answers. No flames. R&R appreciated.
1. Prologue

**Spiritual Revolution**

**Extended Story Summary:** "He's existed for thousands of years but has only lived in the last few. He's spent more time in the human world than the other spirits combined and it's been slowly killing him."

Loke made a promise to Lucy to protect her when he was given a second chance after Karen's death. However after a near-tragedy, he comes to understand human mortality in a different light and realizes that his time spent in the human world has been corrupting him. A story of the changing relationship between a Spirit and a Celestial Mage and the journey they will go through to reach their answers.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is meant to be Loke-centered but from a third-person perspective. I am an Australian writer and therefore use the translated manga and the anime as reference points. (If something seems odd because of that it's probably my writing style or an error in translated texts.) I have also never written a FT fic so please bear with me.

This leans more on the anime side because of the appearances Loke has within it compared to the manga. It is slightly AU because I understand that this direction is not what the author intends for these characters. Also Loke is intended to be a little darker than usual. I may change the rating to M later if I feel the need (with forewarning of course.)

I have a vague idea where I want this to go, but it is subject to change especially depending on who likes it/what they would prefer etc. Please drop comments and constructive criticism as you like, flames are not appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the following characters or Fairy Tail. Disclaimer is for the whole fic. Cover image used from wyldraven deviantart and not used for profit.

**Warning: **There may be spoilers up to the Tartarus Arc.

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

**Celestial Spirit World:**

With a bright flash of light, Loke (actually the Spirit of the Lion – Leo,) re-materialized in the Spirit World.

With one hand he adjusted his jacket while the other pushed forward his glasses as he observed his surroundings. As per usual, he stood at the doorway to his own manor which was housed upon the star Regulus.

The Lion's manor was one of the grandest, as Loke was a prime celestial spirit and the leader of the zodiacs. This planetary space belonged solely to him. His home reached high in the sky, with golden lion statues adorning the rooftops and stone pillars. Considering some of the lesser stellar spirits shared planetary bodies as large as Regulus, Loke was indeed lucky to have such a huge space to himself. In fact, all the prime celestials had homes atop certain stars to themselves. The Spirit World was a vast void of empty black, adorned with stars and with certain spaces such as these with connecting stellar bridges.

It was diminutive and sad compared to the human world, Loke thought.

The humans crammed close, building home after home adjoining one another. There were certain spaces, uninhabitable areas such as forests and lakes and oceans that separated them. Yet in their finite world, they seemed to use their space wisely. Not like in the Spirit World. Loke believed that this universe could expand forever; that if he picked a direction and walked, he would never find an end. And yet all the spirits chose to be so far and few between. Sure, they could materialize wherever they wanted within this sphere, but it wasn't like being in the human world. Everywhere you looked you could see a stranger you hadn't met or a friend, yet within the Spirit World they tried to exist separately.

Loke glanced up at his manor and breathed out a sigh. He took pride in being what he was, but he also acknowledged that it could be a lonely existence.

"Leo?"

The young man turned around in surprise. He couldn't help the small smile that came across his face as he saw Aries, the Spirit of the Ram, walking nervously towards him.

"Aries, what brings you here?" Loke asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Um, I thought I could feel you return to this world, so I came to see if it were true." She answered quickly, glancing at the floor as she did. Loke knew Aries was a very shy spirit by nature. In the last century she had grown even more withdrawn due to a series of neglectful owners. It saddened him that such a gentle girl could be made even more afraid of the world because of some ignorant humans.

"Yes, I was helping some friends." He answered vaguely.

Aries nodded slightly and then looked up, matching his gaze. "It's just odd that you would disappear twice in one day. Especially when Lucy didn't summon you," she stated boldly.

Loke sighed and ran a hand through his flame-coloured hair. "Well she didn't. I was helping out some members of Fairy Tail." The Lion looked away quickly, feeling shame at admitting where he had been. "Besides," he grumbled, "more than a week has passed there. It's not like I went in the same day in the human world."

The young woman's hands rushed to her face, hiding her blushing cheeks. "I'm sorry, I forgot about that. I didn't mean to pry." Aries explained quickly.

Loke observed as she stood there awkwardly, battling with her own shyness and apologetic nature before he decided that she had suffered enough. "It's alright Aries, don't worry." He told her gently, smiling as he did.

The Spirit of the Ram lowered her hands and smiled shyly in return. "Leo, do you like the human world?" She asked expectantly.

The question caught him off guard and Loke found himself staring wide-eyed at Aries for a moment. He shook his head to try and clear his mind before he answered. "I didn't use to." He answered her truthfully, letting out a sigh as he did. "I thought the humans were lesser creatures that didn't deserve our time or our keys. I was always very picky about my owners and have spent centuries without contracts. And the contracts I did have were insignificant compared to the time I have spent in the Spirit World. But this decade has been different…" He trailed off, glancing up at the endless sky filled with bright stars and planets with a wistful expression on his handsome features.

"I understand how you feel." Aries volunteered softly, wringing her hands together as she spoke. "The humans are changing. I used to be afraid of that world, but now, when Lucy summons me, I know I'll be okay. I'm very proud to be one of her spirits – I mean friends." She amended quickly and then smiled brightly at him.

Loke smiled in return and placed a hand on her head with affection. "You're becoming braver Aries, it's a nice change." He told her with affection.

Emboldened by his statement, the young Ram looked up from beneath his hand and met her eyes to his hazel ones. "It's alright for you to admit that you prefer being there, Leo. With them... and with her," her voice had dropped to a whisper with these last words.

The Spirit of the Lion hesitated for a moment before he retracted his hand and took a step back.

"You know I can't say that Aries."

Aries frowned and then looked down at the pathway beneath her. "I'm sorry." She said meekly, and then voiced, "But we all notice your absences. You spend so much time missing from the Spirit World because you get called away by Lucy or you go to the human world voluntarily."

"Am I on trial or something?" He asked her humorously, folding his arms before him as he did.

"N-n-no, of course not," Aries stammered in return. "I just wanted to say, that you have always been there to protect me. All I want is for you to be happy."

Loke breathed a sigh of frustration and then re-adjusted his tinted glasses. "Thank you Aries," was all he said in response. With that said, he turned around to make his way back inside his manor.

"W-wait Leo!" Aries called out, rushing forward to grasp his hand. The Spirit of the Lion turned to look down at her, confusion marring his expression. "You can talk to me, you know. I will support any decisions you make," she told him quietly, unable to meet his gaze as she did.

"I know that." He replied and then gently pulled his hand from her grip to make his way inside once more.

The last thing he heard was Aries' trademark "I'm sorry," before he could no longer sense her presence on Regulus._  
_

Once inside his home, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. At least inside, he was alone and unobserved. Outside in the Spirit World and the human world, he had to put up a front. He had to be shown as a pillar of strength and power. Aries questions had unnerved him that was for sure. She was hardly ever that bold in conversation. He was even slightly suspicious that another spirit had placed those questions in her head, perhaps Capricorn. It was doubtful that she had come up with all that confidence on her own. But then again, he had even said she was changing.

Loke grunted in annoyance. It was becoming far more common lately that the days he spent in the Spirit World were shorter and less frequent. Aries _was_ right about that. He was called out by Lucy or on his own accord to the human world so often that he rarely spent even a half-day in the Spirit World anymore.

And he noted that it was becoming more frequent that he felt guilty about the Fairy Tail tattoo that he still adorned on his body. Some nights, he honestly felt branded, as if he was baring a responsibility he no longer needed.

_Was it guilt?_ A part of his mind questioned.

He knew the answer deep down but didn't want to admit it aloud.

There was a part of him that extremely proud of who and what he was. But somewhere inside, he also knew that there was a part that ate away at him. The part that made him 'Loke' who had spent three years in the human world, and not 'Leo the Lion'.

He didn't know which one mattered more to him.

* * *

**Fairy Tail Guild:**

"Lucy, could I have a word please?"

Lucy Heartfilia glanced up from where she sat at the table, surrounded by Erza, Natsu and Gray. All four of them sported perplexed expressions as Master Makarov stood before them.

"Err, sure I guess." Lucy replied, removing herself from the table to follow the Guild Master.

The young celestial mage soon found herself in a small office space occupied by Mira and Makarov.

_I had no idea this existed,_ Lucy thought to herself.

Makarov set himself down on a chair, mostly so he was at the same height as the two standing women and cleared his throat. "I have a mission you might be interested in Lucy." He explained, pushing the flyer towards the young blonde.

Lucy seemed surprised by the request but took the paper and read through it nonetheless. "Eh, this is from the Council?" She asked with wide eyes.

Mira smiled slightly and nodded. "They want someone from our guild to work with one of their agents to observe a powerful mage from a potential Dark guild."

Lucy shook her head and waved the paper in their direction. "I'm flattered, but why me?" She asked.

Makarov replied, "Well we have few subtle mages here and I thought you are actually pretty good at causing little to no damage. Unlike Natsu…" he grumbled as his eyebrow twitched he spoke. Composing himself, the Guild Master cleared his throat once more. "Yes, so I think you would do well. Besides, the last mission you had left you with a hefty repair bill that I don't believe you ended up with much of a reward. I thought you could use this towards your rent." He explained roughly.

Lucy found herself blushing as she looked at the paper once more. "You guys sure have a lot of faith in me." She found herself saying quietly.

Mira leaned over to place a gentle hand on her arm. "Of course we do. And you are much more level headed than your team-mates. Of all your mission reports, it's rarely you causing that excessive damage. We think this is a great chance for you to prove yourself in a solo-mission."

Lucy smiled warmly at them both. "Okay, I'll give it a shot." She answered enthusiastically. The prospect of such a good reward, (and for herself – no splitting, yeah!) was an added bonus to the faith her guild leaders had in her.

Makarov stood on his chair so he indeed was level with her gaze. "Just remember Lucy, it is an _observation _mission only. I don't doubt your magic abilities, but this mission is meant to be done in secret and not with open combat. This target is dangerous and unpredictable. Just follow the commands of the Council's chosen mage. Do you understand?"

The young celestial mage nodded seriously as she put the paper away in one of her pouches. "Yes Master."

"Well then, get some rest today. You can set off tomorrow to meet with their mage." Makarov told her, waving her away as he did.

Lucy waved at them both before turning to leave the room.

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**A/N:**

Drop a review or a follow to let me know if you like it or improvements that could be made, (they will be much appreciated.) Chapters will hopefully be much longer, this was intended as a brief introduction.

Yes, I feel there will be a subtle Aries/Leo vibe going along some parts of this fic.

- Mae.


	2. Fading Shadows

**Author's Note:**

I appreciate the interest my simple prologue has caused; I hope more people review/follow after this chapter! :)

I hope all my chapters can be this length.. but I doubt it :3

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**Chapter One****  
**

**Fading Shadows**

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**Darkhaven Township – Southern Fiore**

Lucy Heartfilia smiled as she stretched her arms high into the sky.

"Nngggh," she said aloud as she lazily opened one eye to stare up at the sun hanging in a cloudless sky. "What a beautiful day it is!" The young celestial mage exclaimed as she walked towards her designated meeting spot for her solo-mission. Makarov had warned her that morning once again of the dangers of her mission, which she had taken very seriously. The Guild Master didn't give out advice lightly or for no reason and they were putting good faith in her.

Lucy grinned once more and glanced down at Plue who steadily plodded along beside her. "I'll make them proud." She told him softly.

The little Nikora looked up at her, nervously shaking as he did in his usual manner. "Puun!" He voiced loudly.

Lucy was meant to meet this Council mage at a quiet local town in the afternoon. All she knew was that they would be going to a discrete and near abandoned village and just having a stake-out to see if this target would show and observe their actions. All-in-all, Lucy was quite happy at the lack of work it would seem she would be doing for such a rich reward.

The celestial mage gasped when the town of Darkhaven began to appear on the horizon. It was a small town with mostly farming villagers and probably little to no magic users surrounded by forest and meadow. Wood and thatch houses came into view and she could begin to make out the silhouettes of people walking around, carrying tools and produce. Knowing she would need to reserve her magic from now on, she closed Plue's gate, (despite the fact that the Nikora required very little magic to keep around.)

As she got closer to the village, Lucy self-consciously straightened her cloak which covered most of her. She was wearing very basic and uninteresting clothes beneath, as suggested by her Guild Master. Makarov had reminded her that wearing her usual clothes would make her stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, she had no idea how far the news about the Magic Games had spread and didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself on this discrete mission.

Lucy didn't have to actually visit the village, despite the fact that she kind of wanted to and was curious to see more. She was only required to meet at the edge of the forest near the ploughing fields and wait for the Council representative to meet with her.

She had the cover of the trees masking her arrival as she moved away from the line of sight of the village, and made her way to her designation point.

Lucy made her way to the shade of a great oak tree and slowly let herself fall against it so her back was resting comfortably. She had only stopped for a few minutes when a soft _poof_ noise alerted her of someone else's presence.

Tense with suspicion, her hands subconsciously went to her belt where her keys were stored, but before she had a chance to wrap a hand around one of them, a cloaked figure appeared before her.

"Eyeeeee!" She cried out and went to bring her arm forth with her keys, but a hand quickly reached out and stopped her.

"Lucy Heartfilia," the cloaked figure said quietly. "Please calm down, my name is Silvia. I am from the Council."

Lucy stopped her noise and frowned suspiciously. "You are?" She asked dubiously.

The figure reached forward to remove their cloak, and Lucy found herself facet-to-face with a younger and shorter woman. The girl had shoulder length silver hair, darker than Mira or Lisanna's and round doe-like blue eyes. She silently reached into her back pocket and pulled forth the matching document that Lucy was informed she would need to see to prove the mage's identity.

The celestial mage took it from her gently and let her eyes roam over the document, making sure every inch of it was authentic. Silvia waited patiently through the examination and only moved to take the paper back when Lucy was apparently satisfied with what she saw.

"Okay, so you are from the Council then. Nice to meet you." Lucy finally answered after her suspicion had settled, allowing her left hand to stretch forward for a handshake.

Silvia took the hand with a small nod and a smile. "Likewise. I am a shadow-step mage. I'm not particularly made for combat, but I will be able to help keep us both hidden while we observe this village and our potential target."

"Oh wow, I don't think I've seen much of that magic before. You must know I'm a celestial mage already." Lucy replied warmly. "If I may ask, the Council seems pretty unsure about this target if it's not even guaranteed if he'll show up. So do you know anything else about him?"

The silver-haired mage shrugged and carefully stowed away the papers Lucy had handed back to her. "I'm not sure either. I was simply told to go to the village of Reedworth nearby and wait and see what comes by. The village is abandoned as the villagers lost their homes and livestock from a tsunami caused by magic one-hundred years ago. The Council believe it might be used right now as a spot for Dark Mages to meet, or a potential Dark Guild site. We need to tread lightly on these matters, so it's meant to be pure observation. And of course you are here to help me and act as a body-guard if need be." Silvia explained indicating with her hand the direction they would begin in.

Lucy followed her without hesitation. "Okay, that makes sense." One of her fingers rested upon her lips in thought as she voiced, "I was curious as to why Fairy Tail was picked though. We aren't exactly a guild known for subtlety."

Silvia surprised her by covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. "Yes you may be right about that, but Fairy Tail was declared the strongest guild in Fiore, therefore you were bound to be approached by the Council for special missions. Master Makarov assured us that you were capable of this mission Lucy otherwise we might have moved onto another guild."

Lucy absorbed this information for a moment as she followed the younger mage and then eventually shrugged. "Lucky me." She murmured to herself with a smile.

* * *

**Reedworth Ruins – Southern Fiore**

Together they had found a good vantage point amongst a rocky outcropping that overlooked the remains of the village Reedworth. It was by no means comfortable, but Lucy was grateful that she wasn't wearing her usual short-skirt style and instead had pants past her knees to reduce the discomfort. Silvia seemed to be taking the annoyance of the chosen spot in her stride, barely showing emotion on her face as she settled amongst the rocks.

"Lucy," Silvia began, turning to glance at her companion. "We are required to stay here until the next morning in case the target or any suspicious activity shows itself. The Council received intelligence that tonight it would be likely that activity would be shown here. However if by the next morning nothing happens we simply pack up and leave, so we don't compromise ourselves. Do you understand?"

Lucy nodded with a smile. _One night of discomfort? Too easy!_ She thought.

"The sun has begun to set. I will cloak us in my magic." Silvia informed her quietly.

There was a soft humming in the air and Lucy felt for a moment that the air around her had grown visibly hazy in the dusk-light.

"We can now speak without fear of the noise reaching outside this sphere." Silvia explained.

"Oh, that's good." Lucy replied; glad that they wouldn't have to at least sit here in total silence for a whole night upon spiky and rough rocks.

The moon began to rise just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon; bathing the ruins, forest edge and rocky outcropping in a silver light. Lucy was glad that it wasn't a moonless night, as she wasn't sure how the two of them with their magic types could produce light that wouldn't be seen by outsiders. Inevitably, she found herself growing bored and despite her urge to summon one of her Silver Keys for entertainment, she forced herself not to. She glanced to her left where the shadow-step mage continued to observe their surroundings with apparent ease and calm. Lucy wanted to strike up a conversation, as the noise wouldn't be heard, but she felt bad for contemplating breaking the other mage's concentration. Silvia was doing her job well and she didn't need a distraction.

Judging by the night-sky and the direction of the constellations, (Lucy was a stellar spirit mage after all, she did her research on the stars,) she determined that it was a few hours before dawn when Silvia stirred from her position.

"Hey, what is it?" Lucy asked her softly, despite the sound barrier that protected them.

"I felt something in the air, like a shift in magic." Silvia explained in the same tone of voice. "Did you?" For the first time in hours she met Lucy's gaze with her own.

The celestial mage found herself having to glance away. "N-no, I didn't. I'm not very good at detecting magical presences." She admitted quietly.

"Lucy, I think I will take a closer look." Silvia told her, standing as she did.

"W-wait! What about us, how will I contact you?" Lucy exclaimed, reaching forward to grasp the corner of her companion's cloak.

The silver-haired mage blinked in surprise. "I won't be long, it probably isn't anything. Fiore does experience magical surges and shifts, it could be that." Seeing the concern and worry on Lucy's face, she softened her expression. "My magic will still protect you and I will cloak myself. In this light I can't see as much and I would rather make certain we aren't missing something." She explained.

Lucy reluctantly let her go and conceded her point, but it was evident from her expression that she wasn't happy about it. With a small wave Silvia departed in a puff of smoke and shadow.

It wasn't for a few minutes that Lucy was able to adjust her eyes and make out the faint outline of Silvia's form in the ravine below as she approached the ruins. Lucy hoped it was because Silvia's magic protected her that she could see her now in low visibility and not that any enemies could see her like this is as well.

Lucy thought that almost an hour had passed when she noted Silvia's form beginning to make its way back towards camp. Despite the length of time and how late it was, the tiredness from before had gone, replaced with tension and worry. Lucy only allowed herself to relax as Silvia approached the foot of the outcropping. Dawn would be soon upon them and they would be able to complete this mission and earn their reward, she thought.

Suddenly, a whining noise split through the air, followed by a bright flash of light that engulfed the base of the outcropping where Silvia was.

Barely surprising her scream of surprise, Lucy stood up and strained to see what had happened.

As a thick cloud of shadows vanished into wisps of grey, Silvia was shown to be thrown against a tree by some unknown force. Part of her cloak had been torn away by the force of the magic power, exposing her Council insignia on her arm.

Without any noise, a cloaked figure suddenly appeared and made his way towards the prone shadow-step mage.

"Well, well, it took me a while to find you that was for sure. I could feel your magic in use, but couldn't locate it. You must indeed have strong shadow magic to hide from me." The character's voice was deep, convincing Lucy that it was a man before them. He reached forward and placed a finger on the tattoo on Silvia's arm. "Hmm, Council spy are you?" He asked vaguely. Silvia's blue eyes were wide with fear and she suddenly let forth a scream as light engulfed her arm once more. "I am a light-magic user, your magic withers beneath mine. Do not bother struggling." He told her coldly as she cried out in pain once again.

Lucy felt her hands clenching and unclenching as she watched the exchange. She was meant to protect Silvia, but the magic surrounding her was strong and Lucy found she couldn't actually leave the shadowy field. Silvia obviously wanted her to stay concealed, but God it was frustrating!

_I have to help her!_ Lucy thought in anguish.

"A-are… you from a dark guild?" Silvia managed to grate out through clenched teeth.

The cloaked man cocked his head to one side. "Fishing for information are you? You sure are brave." Silvia chose not to reply, defiance written all over her face even amongst her pain. The man seemed to consider her words for a moment before he called out, "Sonic light!" and thrust his arm forward as a mixture of light and sound waves burst forth, engulfing the shadow mage. "You are a smart one! You know you are outmatched, so why bother asking me questions?" He taunted her, laughing manically as she writhed in pain beneath his magic. "It's because someone else is here, right? You're protecting them!"

Silvia still didn't take his bait and forced herself to not let out any noises to satisfy his ego. She let her head hang towards the earth, making sure not to look anywhere near Lucy's direction. The man stepped back, crossing his arms. Silvia struggled to take a breath in the aftermath of the magical overload.

"Yes, you are strong for your age." The man mused. "However…" his arm shot forward and he punched her low in the stomach, causing her to cough up blood. "Not strong enough." He grunted as he shook out the pain in the hand he had used.

Silvia coughed once more before her eyes closed and she lost consciousness, slumping to the ground beneath the tree.

"NO!" Lucy screamed from inside the protective shadows.

Without warning, Lucy felt the air shift around her and she knew that somehow, the barrier had fallen, whether it was from Silvia's will or a loss of power.

Part of her mind argued that this mission was one for information, and she had already gained plenty on this man who used sound and light wave-magic to cripple his foes. Silvia knew the risks and was probably prepared for her partner to run away and leave with this information for the better of the magic world.

But Lucy also knew it was not in her to abandon someone in need.

"Bastard!" She screamed as she stood up, apparently suddenly appearing out of thin air. Lucy reached for her keys and grasped two in her right hand, thrusting them forward. "Open Gates of the Golden Bull and the Maiden! Taurus! Virgo!"

A great '_mooooooo'_ could be heard as the figure of Taurus appeared, bathed in a golden glow. The giant Minotaur took no time to pull back his giant axe and charge forward, smashing into the cloaked man with full force. Propelled backwards and not expecting the attack, the man was thrown off balance and fell to the ground. "A celestial mage? You must be Lucy from Fairy Tail! I know who you are!" The man exclaimed with barely hidden mirth. However anything else he wanted to say was soon cut off as he found himself in close quarters with an angry and overly-protective Minotaur.

Virgo's entrance was much more subtle, bursting forth from her Gate to land silently next to Lucy. "Princess, is it time for punishment?" She asked solemnly, saluting her master as she did.

Ignoring the usual statement from her stellar spirit, Lucy instead commanded, "Virgo, help me! Take me to Silvia's body!" She quickly pointed in the direction of the prone mage that lay down in the ravine.

Without bothering to answer, Virgo scooped up her master expertly and then quickly burrowed back into the earth. To Lucy it felt only as if she had been in a stuffy area with no fresh air, before she found herself once again on the surface and standing before Silvia's immobile form after only mere moments of being underground.

"Taurus, keep him busy!" Lucy called out, briefly watching her spirit fight the cloaked figure. He didn't seem to do too well in close combat she noticed, Taurus was able to swing in very close with his axe, keeping the man from using his magic too much. Turning her attention back towards Silvia, she asked Virgo to prop the young girl up so Lucy could examine her more closely.

"H-hey are you alright? Wake up, please!" Lucy pleaded, trying to gently shake Silvia's arm that hadn't been too burnt, whilst being mindful of her injuries.

The silver-haired mage struggled to open her eyes, using her less-injured arm to reach forward and touch the side of Lucy's face. "W-what are you doing here?" She asked weakly.

"What do you mean you idiot, I'm not going to leave you. My job is to protect you!" Lucy protested loudly, trying her best to gather the smaller mage in her arms.

"No, you need to go. He's too strong, you've already gathered enough information, take it to the Council! I beg of you!" Silvia told her. She struggled to rise and speak again and instead was brought to a coughing fit.

Without warning, the clearing suddenly became infused with white light, and Lucy found herself temporarily blinded for a moment. As she came to, there was a definite ringing in her ears that make her groan in pain. Her arms shot forward to the sides of her head to try to stop it. When the noise began to recede, she heard Taurus call out, "Sorry Lucy!" She felt through her magic that his Gate had closed because of his sustained injuries. Her own disorientation probably had thrown him off, she thought.

At the same time, Virgo thrust Silvia into Lucy's arms while calling out, "Princess, watch out!" The Maiden rushed forward to meet the cloaked figure in hand-to-hand combat. Lucy felt a rush of affection for her brave stellar spirit, but knew at once that if Taurus struggled against this unknown figure in close combat, Virgo would do no better.

"Silvia, grab on to me. We're leaving, now!" Lucy told the younger mage quietly, as she made up her mind and decided that they should try to discretely leave the clearing.

"No, Lucy. I will stay here." Silvia offered determinedly, with a feeble smile.

"Eh? You can't be serious?"

The shadow-step mage smiled once more and reached forward with both hands, clasping the sides of Lucy's face. "We weren't meant to find anyone here, it was suspicious but we thought it was a false lead. If something did happen, we would need to report to the Council at once. Here, I will give you some of my magic to sneak away and return to the Council. Do this for me Lucy, please. Leave me behind." She explained quietly.

Lucy felt tears rush to her eyes and then shook her head, "No, we're getting out of here!" She barely had time to see the disappointed expression Silvia had as their eyes briefly met. With all her might and muscle, Lucy picked up the smaller mage. However she had taken less than a couple of steps before she heard Virgo cry out and then felt her disconnect from the human world. Lucy felt a jolt of panic rush through her as she became very aware that it was now only her, Silvia and the cloaked man in the secluded clearing.

"No," he barked out in a coarse voice. Lucy could tell from his voice that he was pissed off and beaten from his sparring with her spirits. "You won't be leaving, either of you." He commanded.

Against her best judgement, Lucy turned around to face her opponent. He stood before her, still shrouded in that deep cowl that covered his features. He appeared tired and annoyed as he brushed off dirt and grass from his cloak. She could tell he was bruised and sore. But regardless, Lucy had no doubt he could take her on if he wanted to.

"Put her down." The man commanded in an icy voice.

Lucy shook her head stubbornly, bringing Silvia closer to her. "You'll kill her if I do," she protested weakly.

The man sighed and let his arm thrust forward. "Do it now, or you'll both die. Look at her; she is probably already too far gone." He explained.

The celestial mage gasped in shock as she quickly glanced down at her companion who hardly stirred in her arms. "She can't be!" She breathed out, more to herself than anyone.

"She's been physically beaten and yet she still is forcing her magic to protect you even without consciousness. A mage that forces magic use when they are too weak will cause their body to collapse." He replied curtly.

Despite wanting to deny him, Lucy knew from Loke's experience and her own that it was indeed possible to kill oneself through magic use. She had almost given up her own life force to force open Loke's Gate when he was fading from the human world.

Lucy felt a sob tear through her lips without warning as the consequence of her interference hit her. Gently, she leaned down to place Silvia against the trunk of a tree.

_She couldn't be dying, could she?_ Lucy thought desperately.

The man watched silently, at least having the decency not to interfere as Lucy relieved her arms of the burden she had created. "Was she a friend of yours? She must have wanted you to leave quite desperately, and yet you chose to stay. She might have lived if you had left without me knowing. Celestial mages don't give off that much magic power when they aren't fighting, I probably couldn't have tracked you." He taunted softly from where he stood, well aware that he used the past tense in reference to Silvia. "Now, Lucy, come with me. I've had enough of this foolish business." The cloaked figure commanded from his position, holding out his arm towards her.

Startled by his use of her voice, Lucy shook herself out of her temporary mourning. "You are right." She whispered.

"Maybe she wouldn't be dying if I had left when she asked me to, I messed up." She admitted loudly, stubbornly wiping away the tears from her eyes. "But!" Lucy cried out, "It's not too late!"

Lucy reached to her side, letting her hands fall onto the Fleuve d'étoiles, the stellar whip bestowed to her by Virgo, while her other hand grasped onto her key set. "Open, Gate of the Goat, Capricorn!"

"Lady Lucy," Capricorn spoke quietly as he appeared through his Gate.

"Get him!" She practically shrieked as light burst forth from the cloaked man's hands.

Without a word, her stellar spirit launched himself forward and engaged the man in hand-to-hand combat. Capricorn was a better fighter than Taurus, Lucy thought, and he worked well with her whip-attacks. They had trained together before and after the Magic Games, so he was aware of her fighting style. Together they worked side by side to force the man backward into a more defensive position.

"That's enough!" The man eventually screamed, apparently at his wit's end. He thrust both hands to the sky and after a moment called out, "Sonic brilliance!" just as a wave of white-light and sound shot forth from his hands and collected itself into a sphere of power, before falling towards Lucy's position with startling speed.

Lucy felt the momentum gather as it approached her and watched helplessly as she had no way to redirect this massive amount of energy.

Suddenly, she felt herself thrown forward, away from the main impact. Capricorn had thrown himself against her to move her out of the way just as the magic had hit the area she had previously been in. He disappeared near instantly to recover in the Spirit World. Searing white pain shot up Lucy's back and she couldn't suppress the scream of agony that ripped its way from her lungs. Lucy could barely stop herself as she then collided with the hard earth and earned a fair amount of bruises and cuts on her arms. Despite Capricorn's act of martyrdom, she apparently had still been hit quite hard from the magic.

She watched from her position on the ground helplessly, as the man before her clenched his fists and steadily made his way towards her. Lucy found she was unable to make any of her limbs move and couldn't help the whimper that escaped as he knelt before her. She didn't even have any magic power left to call forth a spirit, she thought in despair.

"Idiot girl, look what you've done." He hissed in anger, reaching forth to grasp her hair.

"Get away from her!" Commanded a voice suddenly, just as a well-polished boot deftly collided with the side of the cloaked man's head and sent him flying across the clearing.

Lucy couldn't lift herself to see who it was, but she knew from the attitude and the voice of who her rescuer was.

"Loke-" was all she could muster as she sighed in relief and then promptly passed out.

* * *

**A/N: **

I need practice writing fighting scenes, I think. This story isn't meant to have _too_ many, I just hope that I capture the visuals well, so you can see what I was thinking as I wrote the scenes.

The Celestial Spirits will bear titles and have their mannerisms as the subbed versions of the show. For example as Capricorn calls Lucy 'Lucy-sama' I will interpret that as Lady Lucy in English. I haven't watched the episodes in the dub so I don't know if this is the same, I am basically going off the Japanese version and their subtitles for the anime, and a literal translation for the manga.

- Mae.


	3. Stellar Comfort

**Author's Note:**

This chapter has lots of fluffy-ness at the end, for good reason.

Please read and review/follow :)

* * *

**Chapter Two****:**

**Stellar Comfort**

* * *

**Reedworth Ruins – Southern Fiore:**

The unknown man found himself kicked to the ground and coughing up blood, moments after he thought he had finally beaten Lucy.

Before him stood a man who appeared in his early twenties, with flaming gold hair and hazel eyes which were hidden beneath tinted glasses.

Loke straightened his suit with deft fingers and glared at the prone figure before him. "You have caused great pain to Lucy, my master, and for that I will not be lenient." The Lion declared in a cold tone.

The man stood up, revealing that his cowl had been ripped off in the sheer force of Loke's kick. The man sported dark navy hair and a middle-aged, handsome face. However what surprised the stellar spirit was that his eyes appeared closed. _Was he blind?_ Loke thought. _If so, he obviously isn't hindered by it, judging by the situation at hand._

"So what, you're another spirit are you? I can handle that!" The man yelled out with confidence. "I've already beaten three of them today, all I need to do is remove your master and you'll leave this world too."

Loke felt a warning growl build within his throat. "You're wrong." He snarled, "I am here through my own power, harming Lucy will not change the fact that I will be here to defeat you. However, that being said, I have _no_ intention of letting you lay a hand on her again."

The man yelled out a challenge, calling forth a sonic ability as he rushed forward. Loke easily dodged the attack, sensing it with his magic and hearing more than seeing the attack at hand. The Spirit of the Lion sensed the power resonating within his opponent, but at the same time, the man was injured and had already fought Capricorn.

"I understand," Loke said aloud as he dodged another attack and let a kick fly into the back of the man without warning, "You use sonic powers to find your targets, which also damages them."

"Not just sonic," the man gasped as he managed to escape from the claws of the angry spirit before him, "can you handle this?" He called out, letting forth a burst of bright light.

Loke barely had time to call upon the power of Regulus to defend him, before he was hit with the magic attack. It _was_ strong, he admitted. But he was angry and fresh for battle, compared to the already beaten mage before him. "Considering how dark you are, it's surprising you can wield light-magic," Loke grit out through the force of the attack.

The onslaught ended, leaving the other man rasping for air. He allowed himself a small grin when he heard nothing but silence in the aftermath of his attack.

"However," Loke called out, rushing forward with deadly silence to hit the man low in the stomach, "I am the Spirit of the Lion, most powerful of the zodiacs, and your light is nothing compared to mine!" He roared, allowing the power of Regulus to force its way through his fists, fuelling his punches with energy and fire. The man fell back in surprise and cried out in pain as the rain of punches left scorch marks all over his skin.

"Very well, Lion." He coughed, as he scrambled away from the angry spirit and attempted to get himself back on his feet. "I concede that you can in fact defeat me, so I will be retreating, for now."

Loke felt anger rush through him at the man's cowardice. "Like hell I'm letting you leave." He growled.

The cloaked man regained his composure and began chanting, while white light began to gather around him just as the sun broke upon the horizon. "Lion, you may indeed chase and defeat me. But then who would protect your master? It is your choice." He taunted softly, attempting to conserve his energy.

Despite his anger, Loke knew in his heart that he could not leave Lucy unconscious in an area potentially surrounded by more of these guys. The man was taking a huge gamble, but in this matter Loke wouldn't risk it. Seeing the change in the Lion's expression, the man let forth a final spell which was aimed directly at Lucy. Thrown by the sudden attack, Loke forced his magic to come to the surface and threw a desperate and weak Regulus-impact in retaliation. The two magical attacks collided and diffused one another. Panting from the quick exertion, Loke was unsurprised so see that the man had escaped. Despite his deep concern for his master, Loke forced himself to make sure the area was clear before he Loke rushed forward to gather Lucy to him.

"Lucy, wake up!" He asked in desperation. He could see how badly wounded she was physically and could feel how little magic she had left from her ordeal. "Dammit!" He hissed through barely clenched teeth. It wasn't until he realised the other mage in the clearing was stirring that he snapped out of his confused thoughts.

Placing Lucy carefully back on the ground, he timidly made his way towards Silvia. The mage appeared to not know who he was, but as she was unable to move, simply gazed at him with sadness in her eyes. "Are you one of Lucy's spirits?" She whispered coarsely.

"I am." He replied, leaning down to help prop up the dying mage. "That man is gone now."

"We weren't supposed to find anyone." Silvia told the Lion Spirit, "The Council might be being watched. Tell them everything you saw, please."

Loke struggled for words as he felt the magic within the girl slowly dissipate. "We will, I promise." He answered softly.

Silvia closed her eyes and sighed in relief. "She didn't leave when I told her to, but I'm glad Lucy's alive. Tell her that I was prepared for this, and that I don't blame her." Feeling the Lion's arms tense around her at her words, Silvia smiled. "Just tell her, please. She will understand my meaning."

And with that, Loke felt the life-force vanish fade from the girl in his arms.

For a moment, he sat there, utterly at a loss as to what he should do. He had never killed a human before and despite his long existence, he had never faced death before except future-Lucy's. And that wasn't the same thing as here; it was something that was destined to happen. He had had masters that had died while he was in their service, although he had been in the Spirit World. He had sometimes returned to the human world to find he suddenly had a new master and his old one had passed on. But this was different, because he had been there and been unable to do anything as Silvia died in his arms.

Loke shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He reluctantly let Silvia go, settling her amongst the trees. He decided that right now, getting Lucy to safety was more important than digging a grave, despite the guilt that wracked him at the thought.

He made his way over to the immobile form of his summoner and picked her up gently. "I'm getting you out of here Lucy." He murmured as he set off to find shelter.

* * *

**Somewhere in the South of Fiore:**

Loke walked for hours as he carried his still unconscious master in his arms.

He originally thought she was light in weight and that he would have no problem moving her around, however after carrying her for such a long time, his arms felt like lead. But he refused to stop until he found a suitable area to let her rest. He was wary of an attack and worried that if someone found him and his master in this state, he would be unable to completely protect her.

It looked like he was in the thick of a forest, with no village in sight.

At some point in the afternoon he had found a suitable cavern amongst some rocks. At first he checked to make sure it wasn't being used by a beast of some kind with his superior vision. Then after assuring himself that it was safe, he made sure to carefully deposit Lucy on to the hard surface of the floor.

She stirred at the cold contact and opened her eyes. "So dark," she muttered as she tried to focus on her surroundings.

"Lucy!" Loke exclaimed, finally letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His summoner was barely conscious and struggling to move. But it seemed that whilst she had at first begun to panic, at the sound of his voice she quietened and slowed her breathing. He felt bad interrupting her rest, but he knew he had to if he were to get her to safety. Very gently he placed a hand on her arm and shook her awake. "Lucy, please, I need you to call forth a spirit for me. Any of them, well except Aquarius." He amended quickly, "Please!" He begged her.

"I don't know if I can." She admitted weakly, finding herself unable to reach for her keys.

Loke understood and immediately unhooked them from her belt and carefully put them into her weak grip. "Just try, I have faith in you." He told her in a quiet, shaking voice.

He could see her opening her mouth and attempting words and although he strained to hear what she said, a familiar gold light briefly shone as a stellar spirit made its way through the Gate. She had done it!

_What strength she must have, even in her condition!_ Loke thought.

However he was mildly surprised and slightly disappointed that the key she had grasped in the end was Plue's. The little Nikora stared up at Loke with timid eyes and began to shake. Loke in turn simply stared back, wracking his brain for ideas. Plue wasn't a combat spirit that was for sure. But at least even as she appeared to be asleep once more, Lucy was able to maintain his presence in the human world.

"Um, Plue, what are your skills again, I can't remember." Loke voiced awkwardly, clearing his throat and looking away as he did.

Plue raised a paw and announced, "Puun puuun." Despite Lucy's inability to understand him, Loke knew exactly what he was saying. He was disappointed to discover that speed was his only virtue, that and being cute. He could hardly send Plue off to find help, when no one could understand the little Nikora.

The Lion's eyes suddenly gleamed with triumph as his mind suddenly formed an idea. He didn't want to return to the Spirit World and find out that when he came back to the human world, too much time had passed. He needed to stay here to guard and protect Lucy. But someone else could go in his place…

"Plue, I need you to return to the Spirit World and bring back Capricorn. The old Goat should be able to pass through the Gate on his own just like me." He quickly told the Nikora carefully. Plue seemed to consider this before nodding and then vanishing. Lucy stirred once more, turning herself over despite the uncomfortable setting and let out a long sigh. Loke hoped that Plue's return to the Spirit World would ease her as she was no longer outputting any magic.

The Spirit of the Lion moved closer to his master, gently lifting her so she could use him as a support and settled in to potentially wait for a long length of time.

He had no idea whether Capricorn would arrive in the same day Plue left, or whether he would even be able to. Loke was unaware of whether Lucy had called forth Capricorn before her defeat.

But he had no choice except to have faith.

* * *

Most the day had gone when Loke felt the opening of a Gate nearby and soon Capricorn appeared within the confines of the small cavern.

"Leo," he voiced as he materialised properly within the human world. "I do not know how long I can stay here, as damaged as I am," he informed Loke with a grim expression. Indeed, the Spirit of the Goat looked bruised and battered. His usual attire, which was in some ways similar to Loke's suit and tie, was torn and damaged.

"So you _were_ used in the fight?" Loke mused aloud, allowing a small amount of defeat to leak into his tone.

"Yes, I took the brunt of the attack that's left Lady Lucy in this state." Capricorn explained modestly.

"Right, sorry to ask you to return." Loke replied, feeling genuinely remorseful. Capricorn had great strength to open his own Gate even after his sustained injuries. "I have a favour to ask of you. Lucy should have returned to her designated meeting point now, which Plue explained to me, so there will be people looking for her, hopefully members of her Guild. I need you to make your way there if you can." Loke glanced down at the still-form of his master. "Lucy is in grave danger, and I dare not leave myself in-case she is attacked again. I have no idea where that man went, for all I know we could be watched."

"As you wish." Capricorn answered without hesitation. Loke was temporarily stunned by the quick acquiesce of his spirit companion. "Protect her Leo, as is your duty." The Goat spoke solemnly. Before he fully exited the cave, he turned to meet his gaze with the Lion's. "Humans are fragile things are they not? Every day, their lives hang in the balance."

"I know." Loke spoke softly, as if afraid of his own words that were to follow. He felt both his hands clench into fists. "With all our power, sometimes even we are helpless to do anything for them."

The two observed one another for a brief period of time. Then Capricorn decided to leave abruptly, no longer willing to waste time. Loke stared at the cave exit, allowing a short prayer to the Stars to guide Lucy's friends back to them.

It wasn't until much later that Loke had contact with someone other than his injured master once again.

He had ended up spending the last hours with his celestial mage curled tight against him in his arms. She was constantly shivering, whether in pain or cold or both, Loke couldn't tell. He felt helpless as he had slowly watched her condition degrade.

Loke's whole body tensed when he felt the presence of other magic users, only knowing that neither of them were stellar spirits. He felt a growl begin to grow in his throat, prepared to protect Lucy with his life. That was until he began to hear familiar voices outside.

Barely supressing his sigh of relief, Loke carefully lifted Lucy and made his way outside; coming face to face with Natsu, Wendy and their Exceeds. Happy and Carla appeared exhausted. Loke assumed they had rushed here, carrying Wendy and Natsu respectively. Wendy rushed forward with a cry of anguish and immediately attempted to do a quick healing on Lucy, even while she was still being held by Loke.

The Spirit of the Lion met the gaze of the Salamander steadily and then nodded, relief evident on his face.

"Let's take her home." Natsu said in a serious tone.

* * *

**Lucy's Home:**

By the time Lucy was brought back to Magnolia, Wendy had fixed up most of her critical injuries so that Lucy's life was no longer in the balance. Physically, she was almost back to normal, but Lucy was mentally exhausted as well as not being back to her full magic capacity.

Once the celestial mage had completely regained consciousness, she had argued that she simply wanted to go back to her own home and rest up. Despite their protesting, Wendy and Natsu couldn't make her budge on the matter.

"I'm no longer in danger, right? So why do I have to stay in the Guild infirmary. You guys will just interrupt my rest anyway." She had announced with a slight smile on her face.

And so Lucy now lay resting amongst the sheets of her bed, trying to get comfortable with all the bruising she still sported. Wendy had done what she could, but the little Dragon Slayer was also depleted after her emergency healing. She had promised to return the next day to complete Lucy's healing.

Loke and Natsu stood side by side in the living room.

Loke relayed everything that he knew had happened from his perspective, obviously leaving out many gaps as he had only been in the final parts of the fight. The Fire-Dragon Slayer listened to him with unusual attention, his eyes briefly darkening at the mention of the pain Lucy went through.

"Remember Natsu," the Spirit of the Lion had said, "Don't you dare go off after this guy. It's Council business."

The pink-haired mage turned away, letting air through his teeth as he grunted a response. "Fine, but the next time he picks on our Guild, he's a dead man." Natsu warned.

Loke was surprised at the flare of warmth he felt as Natsu included him in _our guild_. Quickly shrugging off the feeling, the Lion let a hand adjust his tinted glasses. "Right," he replied curtly. "Now Natsu, Lucy needs her rest, you can return tomorrow to see how she is."

Natsu cocked his head to one side, raising an eyebrow in question. "No way man, I'm staying right here. Besides, who put you in charge?"

Loke had a lot of respect for the Dragon Slayer; his loyalty to his comrades was without question.

However at this point he didn't want him poking around and asking questions that might unstable Lucy. He wasn't sure about her mental health following the death of Silvia, which, he hadn't told her about yet. "Listen flame-brain, this was Lucy's request herself. She just wants peace and quiet for now, so please, get out!" He growled, making sure not to raise his voice. It wasn't a _total_ lie, Lucy had herself explained that she didn't want to be disturbed. And Natsu could be the biggest trouble maker around. Loke didn't trust him to completely sit quiet and behave.

The two eyed each other off, black eyes boring into hazel.

Eventually though, Natsu seemed to back down, attempting very hard to visibly deflate himself. "Fine, if it's what Lucy wants, then I'll go… for now. But I'll check on her tomorrow!" He promised, pointing a figure accusingly at Loke.

Loke deadpanned at his attitude, just wanting the flame-head to get out already.

And with that, the Dragon Slayer left the room with his usual cheerful stride, a wide smile already back on his face. The Spirit of the Lion watched him leave with disinterest, only allowing an expression of relief to break out across his face when he had finally locked the front door behind Natsu.

However soon the stellar spirit found himself at a loss. He supposed he should leave if Lucy was safe and sound in her own home. The Lion pondered this for a moment, rubbing his chin in thought.

Yes, he finally decided. It was probably a better idea to leave the human world and recover himself, although he was far less injured than Capricorn had been.

Just as he called upon his own magic to close his Gate, he heard Lucy call out his name from her room.

"Loke!" She called as he appeared in her doorway, reaching out a hand towards him. Unsure of what she was asking of him, Loke stepped forward so she could take his hand. "I felt you use your magic, were you leaving?" Lucy asked him softly.

"I was thinking about it, I thought you were sleeping." He replied honestly.

"This whole time, you've been using your own magic huh?" She marveled, allowing a smile to adorn her face.

Loke smiled in return, giving a shy nod. She patted the space beside her, inviting him to sit down. The Lion did as he was bid, feeling more than awkward as he set himself next to her. She propped herself up, with much more ease than before which relieved him.

"You saved me." Lucy told him simply, brushing some stray hairs away from her face with her spare hand. "I would have died."

Loke felt the urge to instantly reply with, '_Yes, you almost did because you didn't listen to Silvia.' _ But he wasn't that insensitive and instead said, "But you didn't."

"Loke, tell me what happened after I passed out. All I remember is that you were there suddenly, and then there was darkness, and eventually I ended up here." Lucy immediately saw the sadness and the furrowed brows that appeared on the Lion's expression. She gave his hand a squeeze and forced him to meet her gaze. "Please tell me."

And so Loke explained to her what had happened from his perspective. He described the man he had seen, with his facial features exposed as well as his magic type. He tried to put into words the fact that he allowed the man to escape, despite having the power to defeat him. Lucy could tell he regretted that decision somewhat, although she knew it was done for her own sake, and she couldn't possibly blame him for that. Loke then struggled to put into words the fact that Silvia had died from her sustained injuries and the impact of the sonic brilliance spell, whilst in his arms.

Lucy couldn't help the tears that rushed unbidden to her eyes at the mention of Silvia. "She was right, I should have left." She sniffled, using her free hand to wipe the back of her hand across her face. Loke immediately felt saddened by his master's expression and reached for her bedside table, hoping to find a handkerchief. He was in luck and managed to fish one out without bringing out any items of underwear at the same time. Lucy took it from him with a grateful smile and attempted to stop herself from crying.

"You can't dwell on what happened. That man was hunting her and if you had left, I don't think she would have been any better off. Once Silvia was found, it wasn't going to end well." Loke let his fingers rub soothingly over the back of her hand while his free hand pushed away some of the hair that was getting stuck to her face. She was getting herself worked up and upset and he hated that he was the cause of it.

"But it was my fault!" She cried out, sobbing as she did. Both of her hands rushed to her face, attempting to hide her shame and sadness.

Loke had comforted plenty of women through his three years in the human world and despite the fact that he was her stellar spirit, Lucy was also his friend. He gathered her close to him and hugged her tightly, allowing her the respite she needed as she let all her emotions out. Finally, when he felt her began to calm down, he pulled away, holding her at arm's length. Her large brown eyes were red and puffy from crying, and yet Loke still thought she was gorgeous. "You survived Lucy," he told her gently. "Silvia knew the risks and accepted them. She would be glad you came back alive; you've succeeded in her mission. Take comfort in that."

Lucy stared at him intently, sniffing weakly. "Really?"

"Really." He replied with a smile. "And she told me to tell you that she doesn't blame you, not one bit."

His celestial mage gave her eyes and nose a final wipe before she then begun to laugh awkwardly. "I'm such a mess, aren't I?" Loke immediately wanted to tell her that he thought she was a beautiful mess, but held back, knowing her reaction would be to think he was mindlessly flirting as always. "Thanks Loke. We're finally even."

The Lion wasn't sure if that was true but accepted her words anyway with a nod.

"Could you please pass me my keys?" She asked him expectantly. Loke glanced at her in confusion.

"But I can close my own Gate," he told her unnecessarily. "It's not like you're keeping it open anyway."

"I know that." Lucy replied quickly, letting her hand fall to one of her Golden Keys. Loke looked thoroughly baffled as she drew the one she wanted forth and called out, "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

Seconds later, Aries appeared in the room, her hands tucked in front of her as if to hold down her skirt. "I-I'm sorry, what do you need me for?" The pink-haired Ram asked shyly.

"Lucy! What are you doing summoning spirits! You barely have your magic back!" Loke scolded her. She merely poked a playful tongue out at him in response. "You're being reckless." He muttered, glancing away from her with his arms folded.

Aries watched this exchange with mild amusement. She had wondered where Loke had gotten to in the last few hours since he left abruptly in the Spirit World, and could see straight away why he hadn't come back quickly. "You're very injured Lucy," Aries observed, wringing her hands together in worry. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes there is actually, but you can choose not to if you want." Lucy voiced vaguely. Seeing both stellar spirits tip their heads and frown in confusion, she smiled shyly and stared intently at her bed sheets. "Would you help me sleep? My bed isn't very comfortable right now and your wool-magic is so soft and fluffy."

Aries blinked at her master owlishly before letting a short peal of laughter. Loke stared at Lucy in shock. He asked her dubiously, "You're using up your magic and strength so you can use Aries as some sort of pillow?"

At the same time, Aries nodded and replied, "I will help you Lucy."

Lucy beamed at both of them, more so at Loke as if she had just won a contest. "Great, thanks Aries!"

Shuffling over closer to where Loke sat hanging off the side of her bed, she petted the other side and beckoned the Ram to join her. Aries gave Loke an amused glance as she passed him and then tried ungracefully to crawl onto the other side of the bed without injuring Lucy. Aries settled herself on the top of the covers and then set to work forming wool-pillows for Lucy to use for her back and injured sides. "This is like some weird stellar spirit sleepover." Lucy told them both with a smile from where she lay snuggled in her sheets, looking very warm and comfortable between bed-linen and wool-pillows.

Aries smiled shyly at this suggestion. "I'm glad to see you in such a good mood after the fight Lucy."

Loke was indeed surprised to see her acting so jovially after what had happened. She certainly had fixed her emotional breakdown fast. He wondered how much of this was genuine though. Clearing his throat, the Spirit of the Lion stood up, changing the weight in the bed so that both Aries and Lucy were moved by the shift, causing them both to giggle. He let his brown eyes fall to both of them as they watched him with curious eyes and couldn't help a small smile adorn his face.

"Well then, shall I take my leave?"

Lucy frowned and then tried to sit up quickly, making her wince. "No way, why can't you stay here?"

Aries' eyes went wide in surprise and she couldn't help bleating out, "Lucy..." in a warning tone. "He's been here for more than a day now."

Loke narrowed his eyes in thought. Staying for any more time wouldn't actually be a problem for him; he _had_ lasted in this world for years before.

Hoping he wasn't about to change his mind, Lucy reached forth and grasped his arm, forcing him once again to stand by the side of her bed. She didn't need to say anything as she looked up at him. He could tell through her eyes that she was frightened and afraid of what her dreams would bring to her. He knew straight away that the playfulness she was showing was for Aries' sake and she wasn't completely alright after her ordeal.

Feeling a rush of compassion and affection for his damaged celestial mage, he made a show of sighing in exasperation. Then, pulling his hand free from hers, Loke gently helped to move Lucy further into the middle of the bed. There was a lot of awkward shuffling around as Lucy struggled to find space in her bed with two full-grown stellar spirits lying atop her sheets. However soon she was settled, with Loke on her left, propping himself up with one hand, (and hanging precariously on the edge of the bed,) while on her right Aries fussed over her wool-pillows because they had shifted.

Finally at ease and surrounded by the warmth of her spirits and their unearthly, heavenly scents, Lucy felt her eyes close and her body relax.

"Good night, my friends." She whispered.

* * *

**A/N:**

Just want to clarify that the ending was definitely not meant to be sexual in anyway. Just some fluffy friendship. (Pun definitely intended.)

- Mae.


	4. Gathering Courage

**Chapter Three:**

**Gathering Courage**

* * *

**Lucy's Home:**

Loke stirred a few hours later, feeling the aches in his muscles from being so cramped in one place beginning to pressure him to rise. He blearily opened his eyes, slowly allowing the pre-dawn light to filter through.

His arms felt numb, a sensation he hadn't experienced for months since his return to the Spirit World. Aching limbs and numbness was a human feeling, something that vanished rapidly once one returned to the Spirit World. As Loke sat up and rubbed his eyes from beneath his glasses tiredly, he reflected upon the nostalgic feeling he had. Loke glanced over to see Lucy snuggled up comfortably against the side of Aries.

Memories of last night flooded in and it took Loke a while to register that Lucy had requested both himself and Aries to keep her company. His hazel eyes settled upon his fellow spirit, finding it unsurprising to find her wide-awake and staring at Lucy's ceiling.

Not bothering to move as to disturb Lucy, Aries whispered quietly, "I've never fallen asleep in the human world." She raised a hand to her face shyly, knowing Loke was observing her. "I couldn't do it, it was too unfamiliar." She admitted timidly.

"Lucy is lucky that you were watching over her." Loke told her quietly, trying to cheer the Ram up.

"Leo," Aries turned over to meet his gaze, while at the same time her right arm swung over to gently keep Lucy secured so she wasn't shifted. "I have to return to the Spirit World. I can't keep my Gate open by myself; this is the longest I've ever been in the human world." Her eyes shifted to her sleeping celestial mage, filled with tenderness. "Lucy is weakening her magical power, she'll hurt herself if I try and stay around."

Loke nodded silently as Aries reached over to place a hand shyly upon his arm. "Tell her I'm sorry please, I wish I could stay to help."

And with one last small smile, Aries disappeared in a puff of gold and pink. The bed shifted slightly from the change in weight, jostling Lucy as she slept on peacefully.

After a few moments Loke considered watching over her for a bit longer however he soon decided against it. Instead he chose to move into her kitchen area to find something to eat to pass the time.

* * *

Loke had eventually settled himself comfortably on the couch, allowing himself the time to read idly through some of Lucy's books.

He wasn't really interested in books. As a spirit he didn't come into contact with them much. Besides, it was much more interesting exploring and seeing the changes in the human world. He had taken to reading some books to pass the evenings when he had lived as Loke, mostly on nights when the Guild closed its halls early. To him, books had merely been a distraction.

It was his keen hearing that alerted him to the fact that Lucy must have woken up sometime in the early afternoon.

Loke was prepared to wait in the lounge room on the off-chance that she would be getting changed, however he soon heard a cry from her bedroom that had him on his feet and in her doorway in an instant.

The blonde mage was sitting up in her bed with her head cradled between knees as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Lucy, what's the matter?"

She shook her head while her arms hid her expression from him. Loke made his way forward slowly and set himself down, letting a hand gently rub her back in support. "It's okay." He heard himself murmur to her soothingly, as he allowed his celestial mage to pour out all her pent up emotion.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that before Lucy finally lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her brown eyes were puffy and her cheeks had gone red and yet she managed a weak smile for him. "I'm alright." Lucy told him shakily, rubbing her hands across her face self-consciously. "I forgot what happened and then it all hit me." She explained.

"I know the feeling."

Lucy indicated for him to move out of the way and he obliged silently. Carefully, she stuck her feet out of the bed and set them on the floor, not yet ready to attempt to stand. She looked up at her stellar spirit thoughtfully.

"I couldn't maintain Aries?" She asked him.

"No, and she didn't want to force her Gate to stay open and hurt you."

Lucy smiled slightly. "She's so kind." Her expression lit up as she held out a hand for him to take. "And yet you still stayed." She remarked. "Thanks Loke."

Loke grasped her hand and gently pulled her onto her feet, wary of her bruising. Wendy had done a great job of healing Lucy, but she was still unsteady on her feet. "I've had more practice than Aries at keeping myself here." He boasted with a grin.

Lucy blushed as she looked at the floor and shuffled her feet together. "Then, would you mind staying a bit longer? I need to see the Guild and I'm not sure how I could make it there by myself."

The Spirit of the Lion tilted his head in amusement. "You know Natsu will be here soon since you haven't gotten out of bed."

The blonde couldn't help a laugh from escaping. "I know, those guys would be here in an instant to help me. But sometimes they can be a bit rough and careless, you know?"

Loke smiled and held out an arm for her to grab onto properly. "Hey, I lived with them for longer than you have." He reminded her.

"Besides," Lucy went on, brushing away his last comment. "I'm starving and I have nothing in my house. I want some of Mira's food!"

Once Lucy made it outside of the house, Loke took her key from her and locked up as she waited near the waterside. Before he offered to help her walk again however, he remembered to request a summons for one of her spirits.

"One of my spirits?" She asked in a puzzled voice after he had asked her.

"Yeah, I think Plue was really worried about you and he did help get you to safety after all." Loke let a hand run through his hair as he explained airily.

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Alright," she answered at length. She grasped her silver key from her chain and quickly summoned forth Plue.

The little Nikora shook with apparent fright as usual as he materialised and immediately Lucy tried to scoop him up into her arms. With a little help from Loke, Plue was soon sitting comfortably in Lucy's embrace. He seemed quite talkative, shouting out his usual statements while waving his arms around happily.

"Loke tells me that you helped me get home, thank you Plue. I'm so grateful."

"Puuun!"

Loke smiled and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he allowed Lucy the time she wanted to thank her spirit. "He says he's happy you're alright." He translated for her.

Lucy let a little squeal escape her as she hugged Plue tighter. "Little cutey!" The celestial mage held onto her silver spirit for a little longer before reluctantly putting him down. "I summoned you on one of your non-requested days." She remembered out loud.

Although he didn't seem concerned or annoyed by it, Lucy reluctantly returned Plue to the Spirit World because she never liked to breach her contract with her spirits, even if it was at their request.

"That reminds me," Lucy voiced as she and Loke resumed their journey to the Guild. "I don't think we ever made a formal contract."

The Lion turned his head slightly to observe her through his tinted glasses. "Yes we did, I said to call upon me whenever you needed me. I didn't request days off like some of the other spirits."

Lucy mouthed a small 'o' in surprise and then fell silent, content to enjoy the companionship of her friend as they walked.

* * *

**Fairy Tail Guild:**

Soon after, they both arrived at Fairy Tail. Lucy was beginning to look worn out and tired and she had barely entered through the main hall doorway when both Levy and Wendy rushed to her with concern on their faces.

"Oh Lucy, let me help you!" The little sky dragon slayer exclaimed as she began examining Lucy's wounds. "I'll relieve some of your pain." She told the older girl with a smile. Blue and white light shone as she started to draw away some of Lucy's pain and fatigue.

"You should've stayed home," Levy chided her, waving a finger in Lucy's face.

Lucy in turn blushed and gave an awkward laugh. "Come on, let it go guys." She told them in a happy tone.

Glancing around, she noted the obvious absence of Team Natsu. Seeing her slight disappointment, Levy explained, "They were sent on a mission. Gajeel took your place for now; otherwise they would have shown up at the crack of dawn to bug you."

"Oh, is that so?" Lucy laughed.

"Master Makarov didn't want you disturbed so he sent them off for a day." Wendy went on, satisfied with her healing as she took a step back to admire her work. "The bruising and aches might take a while to heal on their own, but I can easily keep drawing away some of the pain. And your magic is replenishing itself properly now so it must mean you're basically back to normal. Just don't go rushing off into any missions for the next few days."

Lucy groaned and slapped her hand to her forehead. "How am I to pay my rent?"

It was at that moment that Mira appeared and beckoned Lucy forward. The young blonde mage still limped slightly, but with the help of Loke (who had silently watched on with disinterest as his mage had been healed,) she made her way over to Mirajane.

"Master requested your presence." Mira told her in her usual happy tone. "And while you see him, I'll make sure some food is ready for your return, what would you like?"

The celestial mage practically drooled at the prospect of food. It hadn't been until that morning that she realised she hadn't effectively eaten anything properly for two days. "Something filling, like stew if you have it." Lucy told her with great enthusiasm.

Mira giggled and nodded. "I'll sort something out." She promised, pointing in the direction that the Guild Master was waiting.

Together Loke and Lucy stepped into Makarov's office. The Guild Master was perched across his desk, frowning at some paperwork in hand. He glanced up at the sight of them and the corners of his eyes creased as he smiled in their direction.

"Ah Lucy," he muttered aloud as Loke helped her to sit down.

"I can wait outside." The stellar spirit told them both, nodding in the direction of his former Guild Master before exiting through the door.

"Master." Lucy greeted him quietly, her eyes downcast as she shuffled her feet around the carpet.

"I'm glad to see you've recovered well."

"Wendy is a fantastic healer," Lucy explained. "We're so lucky to have her."

Makarov nodded solemnly. He raised his eyebrows at the mage before him, crossing his arms as he did. "Child, what's the matter with you? It's like you've lost your spirit." He observed.

"I-," Lucy paused, swallowing silently as she gathered her courage. "I didn't do well on the mission you assigned me. I allowed the Council mage to die." She tried her hardest to bite back tears as she confronted her Guild Master with the knowledge of how badly she had messed up.

"Lucy," Makarov said gently, reaching forward with his hand to pass her a tissue. "According to the Council's report, you did what was required of you. And," he added with a slight wink, "There was no property damage."

She half-laughed, half-sobbed at that and couldn't help smiling. "Still, I didn't run when she asked me to and I couldn't save her even after I disobeyed her."

Makarov observed the disheartened mage before him and sat silent for a few moments, choosing his next words carefully. "Sometimes the missions don't go as planned, but in this case you did what was asked of you, quite well in fact. The Council is aware of Silvia's death; however it was not your doing and not your fault."

He passed her another tissue at her request. "That girl was an orphan, her Guild and village destroyed by a Dark Guild. All she wanted in life was to help bring them to justice. She was willing to sacrifice herself for that cause." Lucy glanced up at him with hope and gratitude in her eyes as he went on to say, "bringing back the information you did has meant that she gave her life for what she wanted the most. Don't let yourself get upset over that."

Lucy was surprised when he next passed her not a tissue, but an envelope instead. She opened it with care, shock evident on her face when she discovered the contents. "This isn't what was promised for doing the mission." She exclaimed in a disbelieving tone.

Makarov chuckled at her reaction. "You were sent on a mission of observation, unlikely to find anything of note. Instead you discovered not only the physical features of a Dark Guild member, but his magical ability too. That makes it a lot easier to track a person, therefore the Council thought to reward you for it." He explained.

"Here I was worrying about my rent," Lucy told him with a slight sniff and a smile. "Now I don't need to be concerned for months."

"I'm glad you're cheered up by that." Makarov told her truthfully. "Now go on and get out of here, you must be starving."

With one last grateful smile, Lucy nodded and walked out of the room, as if she had new strength in her legs.

* * *

She was just tucking her reward money into her pouch as she emerged into the guild hall. She was unsurprised to find Loke waiting for her; however she was curious when she found Levy standing next to him, talking animatedly. They both stopped their conversation when she came into view. Levy grinned when she saw her friend and hopped over; taking Lucy's hand to guide her to a table Mira had set for her. The three sat down and waited as Mira made her way over with a bowl full of a meaty broth that was giving off a fantastic smell.

Lucy grinned as the food was set down before her and took no time to dig in.

"What did the Master want, Lucy?" Levy asked her, tucking a hand under her chin as she watched her friend.

"Reward money for the mission." The blonde mage explained between mouthfuls.

Loke sat idly cleaning his glasses as his master finished off her brunch. He could see that she was in higher spirits then before she arrived which meant that Makarov hadn't given her any bad news. It was refreshing to see Lucy back to normal, he thought.

"What were you two talking about?" Lucy asked with curiosity as she cleaned the edges of her mouth with a napkin.

"She was pestering me with Spirit questions." Loke answered.

Levy glared at him slightly before smiling in Lucy's direction. "Well I knew him for three years and suddenly found out he was a spirit this whole time. And then there was that experience we had in the Spirit World before the Magic Games. I was asking questions about life now as a spirit for him."

Lucy nodded in thought. She had forgotten that all the people in the Guild basically knew Loke as Loke and not Leo. It still surprised her to see the bonds he still had with these people, forgetting that for a time, he had been essentially human.

"Mira makes such lovely food." Lucy sighed blissfully, leaning back into her chair with her arms stretched behind her head.

"Hey, you know it's not always her that makes it. We have other great cooks here." Levy teased her gently.

Lucy chuckled. "Of course, but this was Mira's, I know for sure!"

The bluenette simply rolled her eyes and then found herself watching the entrance to the hall, where some of the customers for the day as well as Guild members were entering. "Almost dinner time already." She murmured aloud. "That means tomorrow Team Natsu should be back and all this nice peace and quiet will be gone."

"Eh, dinner?" Lucy squeaked, turning herself so she could see the direction Levy was looking. Just as the solid-script mage had said, it was getting dark outside and the Guild lanterns outside were being lit. "A whole day gone, just like that." She sighed and slumped onto the table.

Loke raised an eyebrow and asked in an amused tone, "What did you expect when you're injured."

"Yeah Lucy, didn't you sleep for like three days of the Magic Tournament after your matches?" Levy asked her slyly.

Lucy blushed at the two's comments. "I suppose." She admitted. The blonde mage composed herself and sat up straight, sighing wistfully. "I love the Guild and its antics, but you're right Levy, it is really nice when it's quiet like this."

"Well in that case," Levy stood up, slapping her hands against the table top. "We should have some drinks to celebrate your recovery."

The celestial mage laughed at her usually quiet-friend's decision. "I thought you were Levy, not Cana."

Levy winked at her, letting a hand brush away some stray blue hair. "I wish I could drink as much as her. Want one Loke?" She asked, glancing down at the stellar spirit who had sat quietly for most of the exchange.

"Sure, why not." He replied, his brown eyes gleaming at the prospect of an interesting night ahead.

"Nothing too strong Levy!" Lucy called out as the bluenette made her way over to the bar. Levy waved her hand in acknowledgement.

"Don't drink too much or you'll regret it." Loke warned her from his position opposite her, speaking from his own experience with drinking nights in Fairy Tail.

"I won't." Lucy promised with a smile.

* * *

**Lucy's Home:**

Much later that night, Loke found himself once more escorting his stellar mage home. Lucy was slightly unsteady from her night with Levy and Cana, (Cana had joined them later on in the evening.) She was also quite tired and still a bit sore, relying heavily on her Lion Spirit to stop her from collapsing.

Loke laughed when she began grumbling about Cana and her drinking habits. Levy was happy for them to have a few casual beverages and then stop, but once Cana had gotten involved things had become a bit hazy. Lucy hadn't even drunk that much, it was just the mixture of still recovering and alcohol that was making her uneasy. Overall, Loke was even surprised that no fight or tussle had broken out.

"Ah my dear, what would you do without me?" He asked airily as he helped her along to her house.

"Shut up, I'm not drunk!" Lucy growled as she clung to his arm. Despite her condition, Lucy was feeling warm and elated. A good night out with friends always made her feel better. Fairy Tail was most definitely her true home and her outcome for the mission she had messed up was a bonus as well.

She wouldn't say it out loud, but Lucy knew she was relying on Loke too much. She was treating him far too much like she treated Levy or Natsu, when she was aware that he must be feeling tired and that his own magic was sustaining his presence. Yet she didn't have the courage to tell him that he could return. She still felt she needed him, even if it was because she didn't know how to show her friends how hurt she had been inside from her mission. Loke had already seen her like that and therefore she could open up to him about it.

They arrived at her front door and it wasn't lost on Loke that she had fallen strangely quiet. Despite his caring and attentive nature, he decided to let it slide and not bother her.

Once inside, Lucy asked him to wait while she had a shower and got changed. The celestial spirit slumped unceremoniously on her couch and closed his eyes, allowing himself a brief respite.

He was careful not to get too relaxed so he could maintain his connection to the Spirit World. In truth it was much was harder to stay in the human world then he let on because he was reinstated as a spirit and could feel the tug of the world always trying to draw him back. When Karen had died, he was ownerless but not free and the human world had ground him there, suffocating him for three years. Now it was like he was trying constantly to find something to anchor onto. If he lost true consciousness or became too injured he could easily slip back to the Spirit World. Last night he had been surprised that he had kept his presence here in the condition he had been and doubted he could do it again.

Thankfully, Lucy didn't take too long and soon emerged into the living room with a pair of long-pyjamas on. Loke was curious as to how she had fared in the shower with her injuries but hadn't bothered offering to help, knowing it would have somehow got him into trouble. He was just glad she hadn't drowned or hurt herself more.

"Thanks for waiting." Lucy told him, setting down on an armchair nearby.

Loke lazily opened a hazel eye to watch her from his position on the couch. "S'okay." He mumbled.

"Would you stay here again?" Lucy blurted out, her expression doubtful as she was unable to meet his surprised gaze.

"Um, if you need me to," Loke replied uncertainly. "Don't be surprised if I leave by accident." He amended.

Lucy nodded and rubbed her hands together nervously. "Was it a long time, when I was gone for seven years?" She asked him, referring to the Guild's disappearance on Tenrou Island.

"Well you're just throwing around all the strange questions tonight," he muttered aloud, causing colour to rise to her cheeks. He sat for a moment in silence before quietly replying, "It was the longest month I've felt for centuries." Loke admitted quietly.

"I'm sorry about that."

The stellar spirit shrugged from his position. "It wasn't your fault, we knew that. Don't stress about it."

"Right, well do you want a blanket or something?" Lucy asked him as she stood up.

Loke shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Go get some rest, goodnight Lucy."

"Good night."

Loke kept himself awake for an hour or so, making sure Lucy had entered a deep-sleep before finally allowing himself the chance to return to the Spirit World. He had stayed in the human world for longer when Karen had been alive, but that was when he was fresh and healthy. He was still trying to heal from his own fight with that mysterious mage and his magical abilities weren't regenerating.

The Sprit of the Lion decided to stop fighting the urge to return to the Spirit World and surrendered his resistance. He was sure Lucy would understand.

And with that, Loke disappeared in a silent glow of gold light.


End file.
